ask doctor scott: anti-inflammatories, a natural approach

While I can’t tell anyone to take or not to take medications, I can discuss the research and natural approaches.

Here’s some data for from the Journal of Rheumatology:

Annually more than 70 million prescriptions are written and more than 30 billion sold OTC in the US

13 million people in the US use NSAIDs regularly.

The estimated number of annual hospitalizations in the US for serious gastrointestinal complications is at least 103,000 with direct costs exceeding $2 billion.

There are more deaths annually related to NSAID use that AIDS related deaths.

The Journal of the American Pharmacological Association also reports that adverse affects include intestinal bleeding, toxicity, and even death. So what are your options if you are dealing with pain and inflammation?

The first step is to figure out WHY you are inflamed. Pain and inflammation are symptoms of a bigger problem, and more often than not stress from poor diet is one of the main components.

Lab tests can determine how inflamed your body is by analyzing several key markers. A few to look at are are C Reactive Protein, homocysteine, and sedimentation rate.

So you’ve established you have inflammation. If you want to go the natural route before resorting to medication what are your options? The following are just a couple of suggestions which have proved beneficial in studies:

Boswellia Complex by Mediherb has been shown in studies reduce inflammation without the side effects.

Chlorophyll Complex by Standard Process has certain components in it to help with pain as well as heal the intestinal lining.

Fish Oil has been shown in many studies to also help with this. There are many combinations. I like Nutriwest Complete Omega 3 essentials. It’s a combination of EPA, DHA, GLA (Black Currant Seed Oil), and ALA (flax seed oil) to maximize its efficacy. lipidlab.com has a great test to see where your fatty acids are in your body. The ideal fatty acid ratio is 4:1 Omega 6:3 and the average American is 25:1. We also have these test kits in the office that we can mail to you.

As always consult with a doctor before starting any new regimen. We are happy to help you with any of the above. Simply call the office for an in person or phone/Skype consult.